“Our patients’ goals for their care aren’t always the same as ours. We’re typically focused on disease control, and they’re often focused on quality of life. Having ongoing discussions about care goals is the only way to know when it’s time to switch gears. Would you know when to refer your patients to palliative care?…
The ACR’s response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services addresses the likely harm of the proposed conversion factor on the solvency and stability of rheumatology practices. The comments also include recommendations on complex drug administration coding, inflation-adjusted drug rebates and extending telehealth flexibilities.
Dr. Megan Cooper Appointed Director of Pediatric Rheumatology & Immunology Division at WashU Megan A. Cooper, MD, PhD, a physician-scientist recognized internationally for her work in pediatric immunodeficiencies and immune dysregulation, took the reins of the Division of Pediatric Rheumatology and Immunology at Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, as director this past fall….
Long wait times for appointments, the rheumatologist shortage in rural areas—does telehealth solve some aspects of access to care for rheumatology patients? Three experts highlighted the data on remote care, unveiling surprising truths and misconceptions.
The ACR will provide comments on several provisions related to Medicare physician payment and the Quality Payment Program.
The ACR will lead five other specialty societies on a resolution supporting pediatric specialty care and will co-lead resolutions addressing Medicare Advantage Part B drug coverage, white bagging mandates, state prescription drug affordability boards and impacts of alternative funding programs on access to care.
Reducing the time to diagnosis and initiation of appropriate treatment is paramount to intercept inflammatory damage in patients at the onset of rheumatic disease. But those targets can be delayed by provider shortages and other barriers to care. Since last June, Remission Medical, a virtual rheumatology clinic, has been partnering with Mayo Clinic to find…
During the height of the pandemic four years ago, I took every precaution to avoid, or at the very least, delay contracting COVID-19. I religiously wore a mask in all public settings, I washed my hands so frequently that my skin became dry and cracked, and I studiously maintained a six-foot distance from others. But…
Community practice rheumatology brings with it certain challenges, but it also offers rewards, such as autonomy and the capacity to develop deep relationships with patients. Three rheumatologists discuss the challenges and rewards of private practice.
Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) often face many concerns, fears and uncertainties that render “treatment decision making very difficult,” says Jasvinder Singh, MD, MPH, professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Often these patients, who tend to be women from minority groups, “do not have access to easily understandable…